Ex-state minister Shamsul Alam sent to jail

A Dhaka court sent former state minister for planning, Dr Shamsul Alam to jail on Thursday in a case lodged over the murder of Jubo Dal leader Shamim.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque passed the order as police produced the former junior minister before the court and pleaded to keep him behind bars till the end of probe in the case.

The Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested Dr Shamsul Alam from the capital's Mohammadpur area at 12:30am on Thursday.

The former state minister was accused in multiple cases linked to the July uprising.

According to the case documents, the incident took place on October 28, 2023 when BNP called a grand rally in the capital.

On the same day, Awami League (AL) also held a counter-rally aiming to foil the BNP's program. 

Later, clashes broke out in Naya Paltan, where AL activists, allegedly with the support of police, attacked the BNP's rally, killing Jubo Dal leader Shamim on the spot.

The case was filed with the capital's Paltan police station on September 24, 2024.